


"We Can't Waste Anymore Time"

by HumansAreComplicated



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Adorable FitzSimmons (Agents of SHIELD), Canon Compliant, F/M, The Playground Base (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:09:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28956966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HumansAreComplicated/pseuds/HumansAreComplicated
Summary: Starting 3x17 - following as Fitzsimmons cross the event horizon (filling canon gaps)
Relationships: Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

They were silent for a beat, allowing the weight of the day to slowly fill the space around them. Jemma sighed, looking up at the picture on Fitz’s wall; the cosmos reflecting back at her, “one of these days, we’ll find something out in space that’s magnificent, right?” She took a moment, feeling Fitz’s eyes turning towards her. “Not trying to infect us or kill us like Hive”  
“What’s Hive?” Fitz twisted his lip and Jemma nudged him slightly, allowing a small smile to creep onto her lips as she turned to look at him, “Couldn’t even get off a dessert planet without us, so we’ll sort him out” She laughed then, a sound he hadn’t heard in what felt like an eternity, and the feeling of pride and love swelled in his stomach, unable to keep his eyes off her.  
She sighed again, the smile fading as she thought of Daisy. Of Hive. Of everything yet to come. She shifted herself, needing to be closer to him.  
“I just want to help our friends” She set her head on his shoulder, a position so natural yet intimate at the same time. She took his hand and melted into the warmth and the solid feeling of him.  
“I know,” He was hesitant, but allowed himself to rest his cheek against her head, breathing in the sweet smell of her hair.  
She melted further into his shoulder, allowing herself to wrap her other hand around their already entwined fingers. All thoughts melted away as the smell of him made her stomach buzz, and she wanted nothing more than for Fitz to take it all away.  
She looked up at him, her eyes searching for his, and he had all her focus.  
He kissed her then, a soft, tender kiss that lasted a second and started again. She wanted him, needed him – but then he was gone. "Sorry, ugh" she blinked, watching as the man who took her breath away chastised her for doing so, "sorry,” he leaned forward, his head in his hands, “I know everthing with Will and…” His bad hand was shaking, and she had no idea why; she wanted this, “starting over. I didn't mean to push too fast."  
“Too fast?” She couldn't help but laugh at the hopeless of it, she took his hand again, forcing him to look at her "Fitz,, it’s been 10 years…" and I love you, and you love me…”we can’t waste any more time”.  
"Really?" He looked at her with those big, blue eyes, the ones she knew so well but still seemed so far away, “Cause I thought tha-“  
"Really," She smiled at him, her best friend, her perfect, beautiful, brilliant, best friend. She smiled wider and allowed herself to fall back, resting her side on the bedframe behind her, "and since we're cursed or whatever nonsense. You and your fourth-dimension idea that we can’t change fate"  
"Oh, I said that one time! And for the record, actually, today is further proof that the cosmos is against us" He exclaimed, irritated enough to talk over her, not listening to the words she was actually saying.  
“I’m tired of seeing our friends torn apart from each other,” He looked her then, “That can’t happen to us again – I won’t let it.”  
“Then, we won’t let it”, The world heavy on her shoulders and all he wanted to do was take it away, make her smile like there was nothing in the world but the two of them, “Who needs space? Cause, I’ve got something magnificent right here,”  
He looked at her and she fell apart, wanting him – needing him, she lent in, ready to place her hand on his cheek until he interrupted her movement.  
He turned and pointed to the wall, “a picture of space,”. She laughed beside him, and his smile widened. After everything, after all they’d been through, that sound was the only thing he cared about. “One of my prized possessions that is I don’t know why I never paid any significance to it – ”  
She rolled her eyes and continued her intended journey, firmly placing her lips on his, her hands on his neck. She was could feel him trying to talk under her mouth, before he settled for a small hum and allowed her to explore him.  
Her hands were in his hair, his tongue in her mouth and it felt so right. She held him in her hands, needing him to secure her. She let her body guide her as she settled into his lap, pushing herself further against him, never wanting to be apart.  
She broke the kiss to breathe, placing her forehead on his, heaving to catch the breath she didn’t know she was holding,  
“Jemma,” her name came out as a moan, a sound which she had only ever heard in her dreams, and she kissed him again with a fever she had never felt before. There had been boys, men, even girls – but they were child’s play compared to this, to him. Everything was set alight, every movement fire; she couldn’t help the way her body moved against his, her chest pushing against his, her legs shifting themselves to be closer to him.  
She felt the hardness in his crotch against her jeans and instinct drove her to move her hips against it. He moaned against her lips before resting his head back as his hips jerked forward without his control. He opened his eyes, embarrassed and about to apologise, until he saw the look on her face.  
She was looking at him with the same eyes she had over a new experiment in the lab, but her swollen lips and flushed cheeks couldn’t be further from the doctor side of her. Staring him straight in the eye, she bit her lip and moved her own hips against his crotch and the moan left his pelvis and travelled through his body without thought. He sighed, closed his eyes, breathing the moment in as he said her name again, and again.  
With every roll of her hips, he said her name like it was the only word he knew. Her belly was on fire, her own crotch tingling at the knowledge that he was turned on. She smiled wickedly behind his closed eyes, having full knowledge of the fact that she was having this effect on him.  
Making sure to keep her movements the same, she bent down and pressed a wet kiss against his neck, his stubble slightly scratching her cheek as she moved her kisses up. She stopped at his ear, moving her hands into his hair as she felt him tentatively move his own onto her arse. She made the gesture bigger as she ground against him once more, keeping her lips still as she whispered her own moan into his ear.  
His reaction was instant, pressing his hands more firmly into her, holding onto the back of her jeans with all the strength he had.  
“You’re gonna have to stop, Jems,” he finally managed to splutter out, opening his eyes, “it’s been a while”. But his words had no effect to the way his hips thrusted up into hers. He begged his body to be still, but Jemma wasn’t making it easy.  
She kissed along his jaw, his cheek, his lips and he couldn’t stop himself melting into her.  
Jemma knew exactly what she was doing and had no intention on stopping – 10 years of dreaming of making Fitz moan like that, and finally she was awake. She pulled away from his mouth with a smirk, before lifting up her jumper and t-shirt with a movement so quick, Fitz was sure it wasn’t real. It was the movement that caught his eye, that’s what he told himself as he took in her breasts. Her bra was simple, nothing fancy like in the adverts, but the rise and fall of her chest in the dimly lit room made her seem like a model. He swallowed a thousand words and forced himself to look back at her face.  
“Jemma,” he tried to be serious, but the bulging in his pants made it very, very hard.  
“Fitz,” she smirked again, her breathing shallow as she lent in to kiss him again – but he pulled away.  
“We can’t,” he squeezed his eyes shut and begged his penis to be quiet as he pushed her thighs off him. She looked upset, he had failed her, “It…” he began, but realised he had nothing to say.  
“What’s wrong?” All Jemma could do but watch as the man she loved lent forward, his face in his hands as he whispered quietly to himself. She placed her hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her, “What is it?”  
“It’s…” He started again, taking a deep breath as his eyes fluttered between hers, “I wanted this for so long, Jem” He bit his lip but couldn’t stop the smile from forming, before forcing himself to be serious again, “I wanted it to be…special,”  
His eyes were searching his face, and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him for a second before reaching up to caress his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch as her delicate fingers stroked along his jawline, “Am I being stupid?” He opened his eyes again; all worry of judgement fading at Jemma’s smile.  
“Of course not,” She smiled wider, needing him to know how she felt, “I just want you to know there’s no pressure”  
He tried to find the words, opening and closing his mouth, but no words came out. He took a breath and tried again, “I know, it’s just…” His gaze wandered down to her shirtless chest and back up to her lips before meeting her gaze again, “You, you’re…and I’m…I just…” The words weren’t coming out right and even though she had said there was no pressure, that was all he felt right now.  
His hand was beginning to shake, and he couldn’t stop it until Jemma placed it in her own. “Fitz,” she squeezed his hand a little tighter, “I want this,” she drew their entwined hands up to her face and kissed each of his fingers in turn, “I want you,”  
“You do?” Her lips sent shivers from his fingertips to his toes as the words settled in his stomach.  
“I want to be with you” She held his hand tightly under her chin, uncertainty suddenly filling her as she searched his eyes for the answer.  
He took a breath, swallowed, licked his lips.  
The seconds ticked by like an hour and Jemma could cry with anxiety, but the way his palm clenched with hers, she knew she had nothing to be afraid of. She closed her eyes.  
He couldn’t find the words, so maybe he didn’t need words. Everything, the last ten years, the last ten seconds, everything was reaching for this moment. He leaned into her with all the force of the cosmos and kissed her with the knowledge that she wanted him, and he wanted her.  
She moaned beneath him, her hand dropping his to curl around his neck, pulling him in tighter. She parted her lips, listening to his silent cry of love as his tongue explored hers. She was lit up from inside, electricity forming at their mouths and flicking on a switch she never knew existed.  
He lost all restraint and focused on telling Jemma just how much he loved her through his mouth. Every lap of her tongue was an I love you. He kissed her like she was his last breath. He kissed her like he had wanted to behind the glass of The Bus. He kissed her like he wanted to when they were at the bottom of the ocean. He kissed her like he might lose her. 

He pulled away, needing to tell her. He took her face in his hands and finally found the words, “I want to be with you too – I never want to live another day without you”  
“Oh Fitz,” she smiled and reached up to kiss him, soft and gentle and with all knowledge of what those words meant, “I never want to be without you either”.  
They heard it then, a rumble from afar that was loud enough to tear their eyes from each other and look up as the room began to shake. Dust fell from the ceiling and the floor rocked beneath them. They looked at each other, both thinking the same thing: Daisy. They jumped up, Fitz reaching the door just a second before Jemma.  
Instead of opening it, he turned around, his back to the wall, “Jemma, let’s not”, Jemma opened her mouth to protest, but he was adamant, “Just tonight, now, let’s not worry about the rest of the world.”  
His concern was so genuine, and she knew he was right. The stress of today, and the stress of tomorrow – it could all wait. She nodded solemnly, suddenly realising she was still topless.  
“You’re right,” she walked towards him with a smile, “of course you’re right”, she reached up and pulled him down for a kiss.  
“I’m always right”, he smiled against her lips, moving himself away from the door. He was going to sit back on the floor where they were, but Jemma took his hand and led him to the bed, “Jemma,” he said questioningly, watching as she placed herself gracefully in the middle of the bed and looked up at him adoringly.  
“Relax, Fitz,” she smiled, reaching her hands out for him, “just come here,”  
He did as he was told and joined her on the bed, sitting to the side of her, his feet still on the floor. She kissed him again, soft and gentle and he allowed himself to sink into her touch. He allowed his hands to trace their way up her naked back, pausing ever-so briefly at her bra strap, before moving back down again.  
He was increasingly aware of the fact that Jemma topless. It didn’t feel like an invasion of privacy, it felt natural. Maybe after all the late-night trips to the pool in third year, he had become used to seeing her cleavage, but the way she was leaning into him and exploring his body with her hands, it was almost as if she was telling him to look.  
He let his hand rest on her hip, and she pulled on his hair to force him onto her. She was now lying on her back and he was on top of her and rather uncomfortable with his legs still bent against the mattress and surely this wasn’t comfy for her either, but she was tugging on his shirt. Their mouths still entwined, Fitz moved himself to a better position, moving his legs so he was kneeling on the bed and allowed Jemma to lift his shirt away from the waistband of his jeans. The second the cotton was free; she had snaked her hands up and was feeling his chest. He didn’t even have time to be self-conscious before she began starting on his buttons, her movements shaky despite the confidence she displayed. As soon as she had undone the top two below his collar, he was able to take it off from his head, chest heaving as he caught his breath. She looked at him with a hunger he had never seen before, and the look in her eyes shot right to his core as he felt his erection grow again. He busied himself with removing his shoes, maintaining eye contact until he was able to meet her lips again. He was above her, legs kneeling either side of her thighs as they explored each other’s torsos. With his right hand holding his position, he let his other travel to her breast. As soon as he did, she moaned into his touch, lifting herself up to be cupped against him. He moaned against the kiss, unable to stop himself as he bypassed her bra and felt the skin previously hidden by the fabric. She fit perfectly in his hand, the soft flesh cool to his touch. Her nipple felt hard but delicate beneath his fingers, and he wanted nothing more but to kiss it. Kiss all of her. He couldn’t help but say her name again, his voice foreign even to his own ears as he fondled her flesh again. She moaned under his touch, and the sound was the most erotic thing he had ever heard, and he wanted to hear it again.  
Replacing his hand with his mouth, he sucked and licked at her nipple while she made soft, panting noises at his touch. He felt himself grow inside his jeans and he reached a sudden height of pleasure he didn’t know was possible. Her hands were suddenly at his jaw and pulling him towards her mouth. He kissed her again with a deep love and understanding and he couldn’t help but press himself into her. Instinctively, he went to apologise, but she wrapped a leg around his before he had the chance to pull away. Her hands had moved from his hair to his back and where slowly making their way lower, an action he was all too aware of as she reached his belt. Never - not even in his darkest fantasies - had he imagined the smile on her face as she removed said belt. He was panting in short, sharp bursts, worried beyond belief that he was going to embarrass himself right there. For a moment, anxiety kicked in as he realised, he wasn’t wearing his favourite, or most attractive, boxers, but it didn’t seem to matter as Jemma wasn’t looking at anything but his eyes. In an unspoken moment, Fitz replaced her hands with his and took down his jeans and underwear in a motion that felt much more awkward than it actually was, and soon his cock was free, hard and standing to attention. He wanted to hide himself, feeling self-conscious and afraid, but Jemma’s eyes held the answer to all his doubts. He allowed his mind to get lost in the sensation of her hands on him. Her small, soft, perfect hands that were once placing a bandage on his head, were now wrapped around his cock. His eyes rolled back, and he let out an involuntary thrust into her palm, his tongue dancing on his lower lip as he fought the urge to pump himself against her. He busied himself with the thought of her and sat up slightly to use both hands on her buttons. His left hand still wasn’t good but somehow, luck was on his side and it wasn’t long until Jemma’s own trousers were discarded on the floor. He didn’t let himself think, instead following Jemma’s confident lead and pressed his fingers to a part of her he had never touched. Never thought she would let him touch. Suddenly, they were moaning into the air, Jemma’s hand pumping on Fitz in time to the movement of his fingers as he thrust into her and rubbed her with his thumb. They met in the middle for fumbled kisses, and it wasn’t long before Jemma was panting his name, both legs wrapped around his waist and pulling him towards her. 

“Jemma,” he breathed out, opening his eyes again to look at her seriously, “is this too fast?” She stroked him, allowing her brain to catch up with her body, “Probably?” She admitted, but she didn’t stop. He had his penis inches away from her most sensitive parts, and she wanted him – no, she needed him. But for some reason, the logical part of her brain was working, and she nodded, “Probably” she said again, seriously now. His hands came up from her waist and onto her face, and he kissed her so softly, but with so much drive, that she could feel the love radiate from his lips. Without another word, Fitz moved to slide next to her and wrapped her in his arms, and it was the most intimate and safe she had ever felt. She allowed herself to close her eyes and become lost in the feeling of her best friend’s arms around her, his naked body pressed up against her back. “I love you,” she didn’t even mean to say it, it just slipped out, but she realised it was true. Although she couldn’t see his face, she could feel the way he smiled against her hair before burring his face in her shoulder “I love you so much, Jem,” He kissed her skin gently, never wanting the moment to end. He was too far gone to even appreciate the fact that he had almost had sex with Jemma Simmons, instead allowing himself to slowly ebb down from the high as his body caught up with exhaustion. The feeling of being wrapped up together was so safe and so familiar, that they didn’t even realise how tired they were as they fell asleep in each other’s arms.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3x18

There was a short, film knock on the door and Fitz's eyes opened at one. Momentarily surprised to see Jemma lying in front of him, he smiled at the knowledge that he had just work up beside his now girlfriend.  
The knock came again, and Fitz called out as he reluctantly removed himself from the bed and pulled his discarded shirt back over his head. Smiling to himself, he looked back over to the still sleeping Jemma as he fastened his jeans and finally opened the door. Making sure it was only open enough to show his face, he wasn't that surprised to see Mack standing there.  
"Daisy?" Fitz asked, acknowledging the worried look on Mack's face.  
He nodded, "Look, I, er, didn't want to disturb you after the ex-" he looked Fitz up and down; the crumpled, three buttons undone shirt and the clear bed-head after only being relieved an hour ago, "But we need you to look over the electronics" Mach coughed slightly and attempted a peak behind Fitz, who only closed the gap in the door further.  
"Yeah, sure. Just let me put my shoes on"  
"And," Mack continued, "if you could let Simmons know we need medic-"  
"Yeah, I'll text her" Fitz interrupted, closing the door on Mack's smirk.  
He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, turned around and inwardly cursed. He opened his eyes to see Jemma stir from her previously peaceful sleep. Smiling to himself, with what he was sure was a deep blush, he crouched down beside the bed and woke her with a kiss. Almost instantly, she opened her eyes - her gaze momentarily confused before she broke out into a happy smile and leaned in for another.  
"What time is it?" She asked, aware of the fact she was still exhausted.  
"I'm afraid our sleep was only a nap"  
"No rest for the wicked?" She smiled again and his heart fluttered.  
"No rest for the incredibly smart doctors that S.H.I.E.L.D. simply cannot function without" He returned her smile and held out his hand as he puled her out of bed.  
Without looking, he handed her her jumper from where it had been abandoned and readied himself in the mirror, taking care to smooth down his shirt. It wasn't until he saw her reflection fully dressed that he turned around to watch her brush her hair with her fingers, attempting to straighten it out around her shoulders. He was aware of the fact she had left her white tshirt off, folding it on top of his drawers and his heart had a mini stroke at the small gesture.  
Taking a few steps, he couldn't help the smile he knew was wide across his face as he gently tucked a loose strand behind her ear. She stood on the balls of her feet to close the small gap between them and kissed him again.  
She smiled as she pulled away, "Come on then"  
He couldn't stop himself rubbing his thumb across her cheek before closing his eyes, sighing, and opened the door to get back to work.

They walked together through the dusty corridors with a professional distance. In the blinking lights, their fingers brushed slightly against each other for long enough to cause sparks deep in their stomachs. If Fitz didn't know any better, he could have believed it was _him_ causing the electrical failure. Walking into the lab together, Jemma headed straight to the med-bay, while Fitz took in the damage of the earthquake. Ceiling tiles and dust had rained onto the computers, but the main worry was definitely the electrics, which were sparking on and off throughout the base. He sighed again, instinctively rubbing his hand through his hair as he tried not to think about his looming headache.  
"Has anyone seen Lincoln?" He asked the room, before heading to the panel on the back wall.  
"I think he's helping with medica-"  
"Well," Fitz interrupted the junior tech without even a glance in his direction, "can you go and get him for me...please" he added through gritted teeth.  
Opening the panel, he assessed the damage and tried to calm himself.  
Focus on Jemma.  
If he could focus on the positive outcome of the day, he wouldn't have to think of the fact his best friend had done all this.  
"You need me?" Lincoln's voice was in his ear and he forced himself to turn around, aware of how he had snapped unnecessarily at him earlier.  
"Yeah, can you force an electrical charge to this if I patch up these wires?"  
"Sure," the man smiled but Fitz had already turned back to his work.

Mack appeared just as Fitz stepped back, "How's it coming?"  
"Just needs a quick reboot" Lincoln answered, nodding at Fitz before sending a charge to the box.  
Turning around, Fitz watched as Jemma showed her iPad to Mack. They exchanged no words, but Fitz could see the stress on Jemma's face.  
He began to walk towards her just as she sat down at her desk, her head in her hands.  
"Everyone okay?" He asked, although in his heart, he only cared about her.  
"Yeah," she sighed, before clicking on the computer, "A grew cuts and bruises from the debris, but nothing serious"  
He nodded, watching as she focused her attention to the screen,  
"And Coulson?"  
"I have no idea," She smiled lightly, finally turning to look at him, "May said he's readying the Zephyr, so I expect we'll be needed"  
He sighed again, a deep, exhausted, stressed sigh that she knew all too well, "No rest for the wicked?" He did his best to make light of the situation, but they knew each other too well. She gave him a questioning look and he reminded himself to focus on the good, "It's fine - I'm fine," he gave his best reassuring smile.  
"Headache?" She questioned, and he nodded his response. She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and handed him a packet of fast-action pain relievers.  
He swallowed them back in second before leaning over to properly look at her - thankfully working - computer.  
"Did you get that data on Radcliffe?" He was fairly sure that's what she was looking at.  
"Some, but I can't find where he went from GT Agrochemical"  
"Have you tried looking at Universal Transhumanism?"  
"You think he's gone back to Scotland?" She looked up at him, trying to work out his angle, but he shook his head  
"No, no," he leaned over her to use the computer, "I'm thinking Europe - Romania"  
"Romania" sue said at the same time, perking up slightly as he pressed a link, "of course- they've got a massive Transhumanism scene"  
A few more clicks and suddenly Fitz had the screen showing CCTV from a street in Romania and they watched as well-dressed men and women came and went from a bar, among them the scientist.  
"He goes every night, same time," Fitz read from the screen, looking down at Jemma, "Fancy joining him?"  
Before she had a chance to answer, they were interrupted by an Agent at their side, "Coulson wants you in the hangar"  
Fitz coughed slightly and forced himself to look away from Jemma and his fantasies of their first date together. He nodded at the Agent, straightened himself, and turned back to Jemma, "Coming?"  
He was almost out the door by the time Jemma had caught up to him, "I'm just going to grab a jacket," She smirked in the same way she did in his room, and he had to force a swallow.  
"Ye-yeah," He stuttered, transfixed on her lips, "me too"

They walked briskly out of the lab towards the Science wing. With the lights now working, they couldn't risk holding hands the same way - and somehow, Fitz managed to control himself until they got to Jemma's door.  
As soon as he bent down to kiss her, she stepped inside her room, "Just a sec," she smiled innocently.  
"Wh-what?"  
"I just need to get a jacket - and maybe something for Romania"  
"Do you think Coulson will agree to that?" He licked his lips, feeling awkward in the doorway  
"Best to be prepared. You..." She looked him up and down, "You should pack a suit"  
He was just about to question her when she closed the door in his face.  
Safely inside her room, Jemma allowed herself a small squeal as the adrenaline caught up with her. Wary of the time, she quickly went to her wardrobe and picked out a dress. Then put it back. Then pulled it back out again. She went to the mirror and held it up against her, but it was way - _way_ too formal for a first date. A work date, she reminded herself. Especially when she had cuts all over her face and looked like she hadn't slept in a week. She put the dress back on the rack and picked out a blouse instead. It was brand-new and still had the tag on. She'd bought it as a little pick-me-up but hadn't had the courage to try it on yet. Already having an outfit in mind, she quickly reached for her favourite leather jacket and paired it up against it. Her insides smiled as she allowed herself to imagine the perfect date with the man she loved. She knew he wouldn't care what she wore, but, well, Radcliffe might.  
Carefully packing the blouse, jacket and some leather leggings she hadn't worn in years into an overnight bag, she suddenly thought about underwear. Just in case this was an over-night op. She reached into her drawer and pulled out her favourite white bra, the one that gave her a little bit of a push-up but was still comfortable, and a matching thong. Because, leather leggings.  
Aware of the time, she stuffed her makeup bag into the carrier, made sure she had her red lipstick to match her jacket, grabbed her heels, and then headed back to the corridor. Fitz was waiting for her, suit bag over his shoulder. He was wearing a blazer. Right. Jacket.  
"Jacket?" He asked, eyebrows raised.  
Without an answer, she turned back and picked up the nearest black jacket from her stand and shrugged it on her shoulders.  
Going back out, Fitz smiled and offered his hand out to take her bag. She wanted to roll her eyes at the gesture, but, truly, she was grateful. After handing it to him, she scraped her hair back into a pony tail and attempted to steady her unruly nerves.  
"All okay?" He asked her, aware of the slight flush on her cheeks.  
"Yeah, just not sure how we're going to convince Coulson about Radcliffe"  
"Just tell him what you found out from the lab, that he's our best shot at figuring all this out"  
"Yeah," she smiled up at him, "I just hope that's true"  
He tried to give her his best reassuring smile, but they both knew that, really, they were shooting in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

They were the last ones on the Zephyr, and as soon as they'd dropped off their things and uploaded their specs to the lab, they found their place in the Command Bridge.  
With a short nod, Coulson gave his briefing, highlighting the fact that Daisy had had no say in her indoctrination under Hive.  
Fitz couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lincoln. The look on his face – the pain – he had felt that. He knew that pain of not being able to reach the one you loved. His attention flitted between Jemma and Coulson. He knew he should be listening, but truly, his mind was elsewhere.  
As soon as May had them in the air, he took his seat next to Jemma and she held onto his hand and they flew vertically through the half-open hangar. A perfectly normal gesture that they had shared countless times – yet it still sent a surge right to his groin. As soon as they could breathe again with normal gravity in place, he unbluckled himself and almost ran to the lab, willing his mind to concentrate on the job.  
“You okay?” Jemma asked, catching up with him as he powered on the main computer terminal  
“Yeah, I’m good,” He turned to smile at her, a million and one questions on his lips and no idea where to start, “I just thin-”  
In that moment, Coulson walked in. Lincoln close behind.  
“Tell us what you’ve got”  
Fitz looked to Jemma, gesturing silently for her to take the reigns, “looking further into the data from GT Agrochemical, and what they were working on, we think, It has not only acted as a parastite to infest-“ she looked at Fitz,  
“But also altered the Inhuman brain and taken over it’s-“ He looked at Jemma,  
“-Taken over the brain’s pleasure centres,” Jemma took over again, “Sir” She looked back at Fitz, an encouraging smile on her face, and the two exchanged a look that said a million words in a single moment.  
“So,” Coulson’s brow furrowed in concentration, “you’re saying Daisy’s addicted to this thing?”  
Fitz put his hands on his hips, “It’s the closest scientific explanation that we’ve got”  
He looked down at the ground as Lincoln spoke, aware of his obvious disappointment at their findings, “She said she was happier than she’s ever been,” Fitz looked back at the other man, offering a sympathetic smile, “Wanted me to experience the same thing.”  
“Most parasites attack and weaken it’s host,” Fitz turned his attention back to Jemma, crossing his arms, “But Hive does the opposite. Its parasites swam the brain’s pleasure centre, releasing so much dopamine that-“  
“-The infected Inhumans not only feel bulletproof,” Fitz took over, his eyes to the ceiling, “they actually are-“  
“-At least when it comes to our dendrotoxin, we took samples from Lucio and…” Jemma sighed, knowing their information was little use.  
“So, ICErs don’t work on them?” Coulson questioned; eyebrow raised  
“No” Fitz shook his head  
“-I’m afraid not”  
“Okay,” Coulson looked between the two of them, “Then, how do we disinfect Daisy?”  
Jemma stepped towards the computer, feeling somewhat useful as she brought the screen to life, “Well, meet Doctor Holden Radcliffe, a fellow Scotsman,” she looked towards Fitz with a smile, “He was lead researcher on parasitic organisms at the agrochemical lab we raided. Based on his expertise, we believe he’s our key to finding a cure for Daisy”  
She looked back at Coulson, “That facility and everyone in it were wiped clean. How did Radcliffe escape?”  
“He didn’t have to,” Fitz answered with a sigh, “’cause he wasn’t actually there.”  
“He was asked to step down a month before, for conducting irregular experiments.” Jemma looked up at Coulson, aware of the long-shot.  
“Irregular meaning, what, exactly?” Lincoln asked, looking between the two of them.  
Fitz sighed again, “He’s a rumoured transhumanist”  
“A what?” Coulson questioned  
“People who believe in using science and technology to transcend our biological limitations,” she looked up at Fitz, “their goal is to…”  
“To become more than human,” Lincoln responded for her, raising his eyebrows, “Timely.”  
Fitz stepped forward slightly, uncrossing his arms, “Digital immortality, super intelligence…”  
“Okay,” Coulson looked between the three of them and Jemma visibly relaxed, “So, where is Dr. Radcliffe?”  
“We think Romania, but his exact whereabouts are unknown,”  
“Okay,” Coulson said with a sigh of his own, “That’s enough to go on, you two are taking point,” They looked at each other then, Jemma looked almost surprised, and Fitz nodded at her, knowing her efforts were never in vain. “I’ll send Mack with you,” Coulson continued, “to run back end, whatever you need. Just find Dr. Radcliffe and get us a cure.”  
“Yes sir” they replied in unison, nodding as Coulson turned to leave.  
Fitz looked to Jemma, opening his mouth ready to ask a burning question, when Coulson called him to follow. Without a word, he followed the Director out of the lab.  
“You’re going to have to explain all that to Mack,” he said with a small smile,  
“Yep,” Fitz replied, looking back at Lincoln, “It was mainly Jem-”  
Coulson interrupted by stopping dead in his tracks, turning towards the two younger Agents, “Do you think we’re doing the right thing? Going after Daisy?”  
Fitz looked at Lincoln with the same blank expression Lincoln was looking back at him with,  
“Absolutely, sir” Fitz replied, “and if Radcliffe can tell us how to cure her, then, even better” He allowed a smile, and wasn’t surprised when Coulson offered nothing in return.  
“Good,” Coulson turned back, continuing his walk, “glad we’re on the same page”. Fitz exchanged another look with Lincoln but didn’t say another word. 

Ushering Mack and Fitz into the Director’s Cabin, Coulson relayed the information in basic terms to Mack, while Fitz tried his best to explain in better detail.  
“I’ve given Fitzsimmons point on this mission,” Coulson directed Mack, who nodded his reply, “Do you have a location?” He addressed Fitz again  
“To a street bar he frequents,” Fitz replied, “But we’re unsure if he will be there”  
“Better than nothing,” Mack replied, smiling down at Fitz, “I’ll ready the gear” He left the room and Fitz watched as he walked down the Landing Bay towards the equipment area, barely registering what Coulson was saying as he worried about his friend.  
Sensing his dismissal, he smiled, “Sir,” nodded, and hurried after Mack.  
“You’re awfully quiet,” Fitz looked up at him, trying to seem casual as he packed his own bag.  
“Just got a lot on my mind, Mack replied, offering no explanation, “I’ll see you on the Quinjet, buddy”.  
“Yeah,” Fitz smiled slightly, aware of the fact Mack had probably taken Daisy’s betrayal to heart.  
Mack left, and suddenly Jemma was walking across the Bay, and Fitz saw his opportunity, “Uh, Jemma,” he called out, and she came over to him with a smile, “I know it’s not a god time, but,” he paused for a second and put his hands on his hips, feeling the embarrassment rise in his gut, “but can we speak about what happened between us last night,” he looked up and saw a couple of Agents walk past Jemma, “professionally speaking, I mean”.  
Jemma sensed his awkwardness and couldn’t help but smirk, “Of course, Dr. Fitz, we are colleagues after all.”  
His embarrassment impalpable, not able to fully look her in the eye as colour rose to his cheeks, “That we are, Dr. Simmons,” He looked behind her again as more Agents walked past, “uh…that we are,” Jemma looked up at him expectantly, somewhat confused, “And it’s that working relationship which I would like to keep intact” He was nodding at her, trying to make her see where he was coming from.  
“Yes,” she crossed her hands professionally, “we wouldn’t want anything to interfere with it.”  
“Exactly,” he smiled slightly, unsure what to say, “S-so, that’s why, as – as – as,” he was moving his hands a lot and Jemma was looking at him like she did when he was talking about comprehensive physics, “as things progress with our, um”, he took a breath and tried again, “We should consider all variables as we move forward, because things are bound to get…” She was still looking at him like he was speaking a foreign language, but he had no other words, “…complicated” he finished.  
“You mean,” Jemma looked at him seriously, “once we have sex?”  
Fitz’s eyes went so wide she was surprised they didn’t fly out at her, but she didn’t have time to process before May was saying her name and Fitz had left. 

Rounding the corner, Fitz let out a shaky breath and tried to stop his knees from buckling under him. How, why, was he so awkward! Chastising himself, he tried to keep composure as he picked up his suit and Jemma’s bag from the lab, juggling it with the equipment bag. He knew for a fact that his face must be bright red by now, but the look on Jemma’s face and the openness and acknowledgement and she said it so casually and he was so awkward and…. Last night, they were so close. So close to crossing the horizon that he had dreamed about for years. With Jemma Simmons.  
He dumped the bags on the floor of the Quinjet and rubbed his eyes. Fuck.  
“Do you have co-ordinates for me?” Mack asked from the pilot seat, and Fitz was removed from his trance.  
“Er, yeah” He answered, pulling out his tablet from his bag and moving towards the cockpit, “Bucharest, Romania” With a swipe, the co-ordinates were on the Quinjet flight system.  
He turned around as Jemma entered, holding up the silver case containing the eye-technology they said they’d bring.  
“Shit,” he said, walking towards her, “completely forgot”  
She smiled at him, “that’s okay, you had other things on your mind” She looked him up and down, looked at Mack in the pilot seat, then looked at him with that smile she knew turned him on.  
He coughed slightly, taking the case off her, which he used to cover himself as they sat thigh-to-thigh. Looking over his shoulder, Mack couldn’t stop his own smile as he watched them talking animatedly, sat directly next to each other despite the empty seats.  
“Are we okay?” Lowering his voice, Fitz took Jemma’s hand in his and looked into her eyes, searching for an answer he knew deep-down to be true, but couldn’t help that niggling anxiety.  
“Honestly, Fitz,” She returned his smile, “We are more than okay,”  
“I really love you,” He bit his lip slightly, embarrassed of his confession, but couldn’t stop the summersaults in his chest as he said it out loud.  
“I really love you too,” Her own stomach was doing backflips, and she risked a kiss, her mouth pressed firmly against his, hoping she was able to translate everything she felt into the wordless action.  
“You promise that it won’t get,” he coughed again, “awkward, when…if…we erm…continued from last night?”  
She laughed slightly, “technically, it was only a few hours ago – I wouldn’t even call it a night,” he rolled his eyes but smiled brightly at her, remembering their exchange, “Of course it doesn’t,” She squeezed his hand again, “In fact, I quite enjoyed waking up in your bed,”  
He coughed again, shifted the case on his knees and looked towards Mack, who seemed in full on driver mode.  
“How’s your headache?” She asked innocently, as if her eyes hadn’t just been swimming with lust.  
“Better,” he smiled truthfully.  
“Are you nervous?” She asked, looking at him seriously now. He had to rub his palms on his trousers as he felt the sweat rise.  
“No – no,” he managed, rubbing his lips together, “are you?”  
“Not really,” she smiled at him and he felt nervous again. Why was this such a big deal to him? “But May made me worry a little,” he blinked then – realising she was talking about something else entirely. “She gave me this,” Jemma pulled out a pistol from her waistband and Fitz chastised himself. She was thinking about the mission. Like he should be. Not sex. Definitely not sex.  
“You think we’ll need it?” He asked her, taking the gun and weighing it in his hands.  
“I told her we wouldn’t, but-“ she sighed as he handed it back,  
He tried to give her a reassuring smile, “No harm in being prepared”  
“Yeah,” she smiled slightly, fussing as she put the weapon in her holdall, “it’ll be fine”  
They were silent for a while, their hands gently touching in the small space beside them, the contact sending shivers through both of them.  
“Twenty minutes out,” Mack called from the front, awakening them from their thoughts. Fitz rubbed his hands again, passed Jemma the silver carry case and stood to check the terminal. The co-ordinates were right, and the CCTV had picked up Radcliffe entering the bar at the predicted time.  
Finding a nearby hotel, Fitz got to work on entering them into the system for an over-night stay. Just in case.

After the confirmations were put through with their alias’, Fitz sat down next to Mack to give him the update for location.  
“We’ll wait by the elevator with the bags, and Simmons can check us in” he turned around and confirmed a nod with Jemma, “don’t want the receptionist asking too many questions” He scoffed, looking up at Mack.  
“I just hope they’ve got a mini-bar” Mack smirked in response, not taking his eyes from the front as he gradually landed the Quinjet.  
Fitz smirked, slapping him on the shoulder as he stood up to join Jemma again.  
“Radcliffe’s at the Interbelic as planned” he reached out and took the case from her.  
“Scientists,” she smiled at him, “so predictable”.  
Mack looked through the rear-view mirror, smiling to himself as he watched the two get ready, taking it in turns to help each other with the heavy bags and equipment.  
They steadied themselves as the Quinjet landed softly on the rooftop of the hotel and took no time in leaving the cabin.  
The three were silent as they took the stairs of the fire-escape, careful to not arouse suspicion. It wasn’t until they were in the lobby that Mack finally turned around to address them, directing Jemma to the reception desk. She swapped Fitz the fake ID for her bags and hurried over, taking care to memorise every single detail on the driving licence.  
“Hi, how can I help you today?” The lady behind the desk smiled politely, her Romanian accent thick, but English impeccable. While sorting out the details, payment and key cards, Jemma momentarily forgot they were on a mission and couldn’t wait to get herself tucked up in a hotel bed. With Fitz.  
“Do you need help with your luggage?” The lady must have asked this question twice as she looked at Jemma expectantly.  
“Oh, no, no, that’s okay,” Jemma blinked her fantasy away, “my husband will bring them through”  
She tried to hide her blush as she hurried away, eyes on her feet.

“All okay?” Fitz asked, sensing her awkwardness.  
“Yeah,” she smiled up at the two of them, taking her bags as Mack pushed the elevator button, “room 318”  
It wasn’t long before the elevator was with them, which was occupied by a bellboy. Silently, they entered and stood a little too far away from each other, Mack pretending to be on his phone while Fitz fiddled with his blazer pockets.  
The lift soon stopped and the bellboy let them exit, seemingly too bored to question the amount of laptop bags they had between them.  
Walking down the corridor, Fitz led the way, counting out the room numbers until reaching 318, standing aside to let Jemma use the key.  
As soon as it was open, she pulled her bag and laptop carrier through the door without much grace, aware of Fitz standing very closely behind her with his own bags.  
“This is a little fancy for a stakeout isn’t it,” Mack scoffed, eyeing up the room as he put down the equipment at the small desk.  
“We’re meeting him across the street,” Jemma replied, coming up behind him and opening up one of the laptop cases, "under the communist regime, public gatherings were prohibited in Bucharest, and people were forced to meet in private homes or secret clubs,” she looked down at her tablet, “Satellites caught Dr. Radcliffe entering one of these old clubs an hour ago”  
Fitz put the case on the bed next to them, “We think transhumanists have turned it into an upscale black-market for emerging technologies”  
“Oh good,” Mack replied sarcastically, his eyes on the computer set up in front of him.  
“So,” Fitz pointed at Jemma, “Simmons and I will pose as top-level geneticists looking to make a sale”  
“Okay, but, remember, this is a high-class establishment, so you got to dress the part, which means no lab coats on this one” Mack was serious, but Jemma almost scoffed – if only he knew the underwear she had packed.  
“Well, do you think scientists only wear lab coats?” She asked him sarcastically, “Are we wearing them now?”  
“What, we walk around all day with goggles and gloves on, do we?”  
“I’m sorry” Mack replied, but they looked at each other with a smile  
“Well,” Jemma rolled her eyes, “Like you, Radcliffe’s not easy to please, he has refined tastes,” She looked at Fitz and he opened up the case, “when it comes to human medications”  
“Yeah, and he’s also a known recluse, which is why I’m hoping these little cybernetic bad boys will pique his interest enough to get him out of his shell,” He set the case down, showing them off to a an obviously impressed Mack, “They’re a variation of what’s inside Deathlok.”  
“That’s a different kind of carrot on a stick”  
Jemma shook her head slightly, “Well, innovation is the quickest way to a scientist’s heart. If we can get him to appreciate what we do,” She looked at Fitz then with a smile, “Hopefully he’ll help us with Daisy.”  
“Yeah,” Fitz smiled, turning from Jemma to Mack, “and if that doesn’t work, you can go and beat him up and drag him out – ‘cause all you are is big and strong”  
“Okay,” Mack stood up, “Okay, I’ll never say another word about the lab coats again. Alright, this room us our rendezvous point, if we get Radcliffe-”  
“We bring him back here” Jemma nodded  
“And if something goes wrong-”  
“We meet here” Fitz smiled up at him  
“Good. ‘Cause I’m not ready to lose another teammate today”. Mack smiled down at them, then left the room.  
It felt like the first time in years they had been alone.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jem-" Fitz stepped out towards her, holding out his hand, but she side stepped him,  
"Come on, we're already late!" Jemma unzipped her holdall on the bed, while Fitz tried to pretend his reach was just movement towards his own luggage.  
"Yes, I know that Jemma," he snapped slightly, "but you were the one who wanted to waste time packing extra clothes!" He unzipped his suit from its case and held it up, checking it was still clean.  
"And good job I did," Jemma scoffed slightly, "the way Mack was going on".  
Fitz let out his own chuckle, "Ha, I know - like we enjoy wearing hazmat suits!"  
"Or anything outside of the lab, apparently" Jemma laughed to herself, slipping off her jumper and bra at the exact same time Fitz turned around.  
"Christ Jemma!" He screeched, unable to stop himself staring, “warn a man!”  
Without even looking at him, she gave a sly smile as she put on her other bra, "What?" She smirked at him once it was fastened, watching as his eyes went wide at the sight of her newly pushed-up cleavage, “come on!” she hurried him up, and he watched as she went to undo her jeans.  
“I-I’m” Fitz stuttered, watching as she lowered her jeans enough for him to see the knickers he had his fingers in hours ago, “I’m going to get changed in the bathroom”.  
He all but ran to the bathroom, locking in straight behind him as he took a moment to breathe.  
They were together now, and he needed to stop acting like a 16 year old every time he saw her. He couldn’t help it though, when she looked like that.  
He took his pants off slowly, aware of his stiffening cock that had been already today. He was tempted to sort himself out now, on these fancy tiles, but knew Jemma would be able to tell. And if she didn’t, Mack definitely would.  
Instead, he distracted himself with his top button. His hands still weren’t the best with little fidgety things, and he normally left it undone, but it was a suit after all. And besides, it was good practise for the extremely little fidgety thing called a bra strap.  
He smiled to himself in the mirror, allowing himself to remember last night without fuelling the fire in his crotch.

Jemma turned in the mirror, then turned again, and again. The outfit looked a lot better in her head. And she had cuts all over her face. She rubbed her cheeks with her palms and ran her hands through her hair – nothing she could do now. She took out her bobble with a sigh and grabbed her makeup bag.  
Fitz came out of the bathroom as she was putting on foundation, she smiled at him through the mirror, admiring how good he looked in the suit.  
He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her apply the makeup to her face. An act he had watched her do countless times, normally they’d be busy too chatting about something for him to pay too much attention, but the delicacy with which she touched her own face always played with his heart.  
He watched her now in silence, not even aware of the smile that pulled on his lips as he followed every movement, every brush stroke, as if he was the artist.  
Jemma could feel his stare, could see the way he looked at her. The way he had always looked at her, if she was honest, but now she was looking back. Aware of the blush on her cheeks before she had even applied rouge, she attempted to wake Fitz from his trance and go over the mission brief.

It wasn’t until she had finished, that she became aware of the anxiety in her stomach. She hadn’t showered. She hadn’t been able to completely conceal her wound.  
She stood up, expecting some sort of approval from Fitz, but he had rushed to his feet and was now admiring the eye technology with the same favour she had seen through the mirror.  
Mack knocked then, and after two more checks in the mirror to see if she could hide the graze on her forehead, she gave up and allowed Mack into the room.  
As soon as he saw her, he gave out a low wolf whistle. She rolled her eyes, but the intention lifted her anxiety a little. Once Fitz had got him fully set-up at the desk with comms ready, they left the room.  
They didn’t talk at all on the way to the bar but held hands in the night air as they crossed the street to the high-class establishment. As soon as she entered, Jemma felt her anxiety peek, which wasn’t helped by Fitz’s own nervousness.  
He was looking around, and she was conscious of his not-so-secret attempt to act casual as he looked her up and down.  
“What is it? Do I look weird?” She couldn’t help as she reached up to touch her hair, “I feel a bit weird all dressed up like this”  
“No,” Fitz replied, finally looking her in the eye, “you look nice – that’s all,” Before she could reply, he had pushed the glasses on his face, “Mack, do you have a visual?”  
“Affirmative, I see what you see” he said into their ears. Fitz had to remind himself not to look at Jemma _too_ much.  
Jemma stayed close to Fitz as he swept the room, “Turn on multi-spectral imaging”.  
“Alright,” They walked slowly through the bar, Fitz trying his best to look casual as he allowed Mack to scan the room, “I don’t know what I expected, but, this is not what I expected,” Jemma looked at Fitz, her anxiety rising again as she tried to stay calm, “Let’s just say most of the people in this room are more than what they seem. You two stay alert, I’m not sure what you’re walking into”.  
Mack’s well wishes did nothing to quell her fears, and she made sure to stand a little closer to Fitz, comforted by his presence. They walked clockwise around the bar, attempting to look casual while searching out for Radcliffe.  
After a moment, Jemma allowed herself to voice her concerns as she stared at a group of starkly dressed women sitting at a booth, “What do you think Mack meant, by they’re more than they seem?”  
“I don’t know,” Fitz himself had his own doubts about the location, “but I definitely think this club has some secrets of it's own”  
“Well, that’s a rather ominous thing to say”  
“It’s true, those guys keep staring at us,” Jemma followed Fitz’s gaze to the two men guarding a door behind them, “Or maybe they’re staring at the case”  
“Well,” Jemma tried to be rationale, “they could work for Dr. Radcliffe, presuming he’s even here – we’ve looked everywhere” She scanned the room again, but there was still no sign.  
“There’s only one way to find out,” Fitz said with more authority than he felt, taking Jemma’s hand in his as he mustered all his confidence to walk them to the door, “Excuse me,” he looked the two stern, muscular men up and down, “we’re looking for Dr. Holden Radcliffe, we’re scientists”  
He shared a quick smile with Jemma, sensing her approval, before a woman confronted them, “Hello, my name is Anon. Do you have an appointment with the Doctor?”  
Fitz felt his confidence wavering, but Jemma squeezed his hand as encouragement, “Not exactly,” he shook his head, before looking at Jemma, “we’re fellow geneticists, and like Dr. Radcliffe, we dabble in human enhancements,”  
Aware of Mack in his ear, he looked Anon up and down, romovin his hand from Jemma’s and placing the case firmly in front of him.  
“Guys,” Mack responded, “this woman has been heavily modified, in ways you wouldn’t anticipate”  
Jemma sensed her cue, “Are you a patient of Dr. Radcliffe?” She smiled, trying to gage a reaction from the woman, “We have quite innovative eye technology – perhaps it will serve you, as well”  
“I can take it to the doctor” Anon’s voice was eerily monotone, and Jemma couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, trying to figure out whether she was fully human.  
“Respectfully,” Fitz interrupted her thoughts and she turned to him again, “It’s for Doctor Radcliffe, or no one at all”  
With a mechanical nod, the woman pressed some buttons on her arm, before addressing them again, “Wait in the bar area, if the doctor expresses interest, I will find you”.  
She offered no hint of a smile, but Jemma offered one anyway as Fitz turned to lead them away. They exchanged a worried glance as they walked back to the bar, Fitz’s arm on Jemma’s back.

“Did you get that?” Fitz asked Mack under his breath, getting a short huff back.  
“She wasn’t very helpful was she,” Jemma smiled, looking back over her shoulder to see the woman had now gone again. She let out a long sigh before looking back to Fitz, “Drink?”  
With a relieved nod, Fitz grabbed the attention of the nearest bartender, “A Scotch and a Moscow Mule please,” ordering Jemma’s favourite. She gave him a warm smile at the gesture, reminded once again of just how well they knew each other.  
Normally, Jemma would watch in fascination at the mixologist as they added in herbs and flavours to make it just right, but tonight, she only wanted to look at her boyfriend.  
“It is nice to get out,” She smiled to herself, resting her head on Fitz’s arm, until she realised Mack would be able to see her. She straightened herself up and smiled apologetically at Fitz, who was disappointed she hadn’t stayed there.

She maintained a professional distance then, sitting apart from him on the ‘L’ shaped couch, nursing her drink.  
Fitz had barely touched his own drink, too concerned with the worried look on Jemma's face. She was in her head, but he knew better than to ask what she was thinking.  
“Do you think Daisy really is in love with It?” She asked out loud, her thoughts getting ahead of her.  
Fitz opened his mouth to answer, but she shook her head, telling him silently that the question was rhetorical. They both knew the answer.  
Jemma looked back down at her drink, and Fitz wanted nothing more than to take the stress away. To make her smile again.  
“Mack?” He said, speaking to his glasses, “are you getting feedback on comms? Simmons?”  
Jemma looked up, momentarily confused, until she saw Fitz gesturing for her to continue the lie. She set her drink down, “Oh yeah, it’s terribly loud,” She pressed her hand to her ear as Fitz took off his glasses, “best if we go offline to reboot – back in a jiff”.  
Synchronously, they pressed the offline button on their watches and shared a smile.  
Fitz was looking at her like _that_ again, “We’re got a long history of unfinished conversations, so, I thought it was about time…” He looked a little sheepish then, and Jemma smiled, finishing his sentence.  
He reached forward ad grabbed his drink, mainly as something to distract him as he tried to think of the words, “So, um,” He looked down at the golden liquid, swirling it slightly in his hand, “I’ve been thinking about it – about us – and erm… it clicked,” He took a long swig, the Whisky fuelling his nerve. He sat the glass down and carried on with confidence, “The crux of our relationship is like the singularity in transhumanism”.  
Jemma had an eyebrow raised, looking confused, “It is?”  
“Yeah,” he smiled, the words taking shape before him, “Think about it. Singularity is the defining moment”  
Jemma smiled then, understanding instantly, “The point at which a measurable variable becomes infinite”  
“Right. So, our…” He stumbled then, not know whether they were ready for labels “…friendship is linear. It’s simple, comfortable”  
“Effortless, really”  
“As soon as we deviate from that path…”  
“Change becomes exponential”  
“The point of no return” Fitz smiled; happy he was able to finally express his feelings through the language they had always shared.  
Jemma laughed slightly, “Just to be clear,” she pushed herself an inch towards him, and he felt himself leaning in with her, “Are you comparing us sleeping together to crossing the event horizon?”  
Fitz nodded, realising the true meaning of his sentiments, “his stomach suddenly knotting, until Jemma smiled again  
It’s quite lovely when you think about it like that," Her heart rose to her throat as the words settled. Her best friend, the love of her life, "And also terrifying”   
“Yeah, exactly,” He moved himself closer to her, putting an arm around the back of her shoulders, “So, we should stop thinking altogether and-“  
“-And just do,” Jemma nodded, her smile wide, “Yeah, of course.”  
He was looking at her lips, and wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her.

“Hello,” Anon’s voice came above them, breaking the spell as they turned to her, “Please follow me”  
Fitz’s arm left Jemma’s skin and she wished in that moment to be anywhere other than on a mission. She took a minute to compose the butterflies I her stomach and stood up, as Fitz reconnected with Mack.  
Following Anon, Jemma looked back to Fitz as they entered through the guarded door.  
“This wasn’t on the schematics,” Mack said in their ears, comms back online.  
They were led down a dark passageway, and Jemma knew she had a right to have felt so anxious all night.


	5. Chapter 5

After being bundled out of the room by strong hands, Jemma had to take a moment to reconfigure,  
“Stop, I’m not going anywhere without Fitz!” Fitz was still in there, hopefully talking Radcliffe round. She was about to turn back, reaching for the gun in her back pocket, when suddenly all the oxygen in the room left and the walls were closing in.  
“You once said the same thing about me” He was here. It. Standing behind what was left of the guard.  
“Stay the hell away from me!” She backed away towards the wall, there was nowhere to run “If you try to hurt me, I swear…” She didn’t know what she was swearing, but her heart was in her ears and she couldn’t think.  
“Hey,” He walked towards her, “I’m doom you’re hope, remember”  
It was the face of Grant Ward. The voice of Grant Ward. But all she could hear was  
“Will?” For a second, she really believed it. “No, it’s not,” She told herself, shaking her head, “It’s not possible”  
“I’ve never been able to resist doing something when the odds are impossible” Grant Ward’s smile quirked at the corner just like Will’s and she couldn’t stop herself believing, just for a second.  
“What happened?” She knew she should run, but an invisible force was holding her in place.  
“It happened so quickly, the storm, the portal opening,” He smiled, and suddenly Ward was gone and all she could see was Will “I guess you were right about Fitz, huh?”  
“Stop it,” She heard herself whisper, but she didn’t know if she even meant it.  
“Jemma, listen,” He walked towards her, still smiling, “I’m glad you made it back to him. All I want is for you to be happy, safe. That’s why I’m glad we’re here, now. I never got a chance to say goodbye.”  
“It’s not you,” She wiped away the tear that had fell to her cheek but couldn’t stop the rest coming.  
“I’m the only thing protecting you,”  
He took another step, and Jemma shook her head, “No, It’s not….” She tried to focus, but everything was blurry, “He said you’d do anything to fool me,”  
“Jemma, please. I wouldn’t trick you; I don’t want you to end up dead like me,” She breathed in sharply, forcing herself not to fall for his lies, “We don’t want that to happen to you. It’s in your best interest to trust me,” He came even closer, so she took another step backwards, her back bumping against the wall behind her, “It’s me, Jemma, but,” She looked at him then, a mistake that made her stomach twist as memories of Will flooded her brain. She felt a hand on her cheek and allowed herself to lean into the touch, “It’s time to let me go.”  
She drew a breath, forcing herself back to the present. She opened her eyes and reached for her gun, “Just because you stole Will’s memories, doesn’t give you the right to be him,” She mustered all her courage and admitted out-loud, for the first time, that Will is dead.  
She thought of him as she pulled the trigger, shooting the creature three times without hesitation.  
Instead of falling, It just stumbled, looking at her with disappointment.  
She took a moment, looking It in the eyes, before running as fast as she could in her heels.

Finding the elevator, she pushed the call button with force, using the wait to catch her breath. Tears were falling freely now, there was no point trying to stop them. Her head was filled, and she needed to get out. She was aware of the panic attack forming in her chest as the elevator finally landed and let her in. The buttons swirled in front of her, as she panicked which one to press. She couldn’t remember the ride being long, and pressed the first one, praying to a god she didn’t believe in that it was the right one.  
Seconds were hours and if she didn’t get out now, she…The doors opened and she rushed out, before realising the bar was completely deserted. Tables were on their sides, glass bottles and jars strewn across the floor. She focused on the exit, using the fallen debris to guide her towards the double doors leading to the street.  
As soon as the cold air hit her, she remembered to breathe. She used the voice she used when Daisy had a panic attack, and talked herself through it. _Focus_.  
All around her, people were huddled in the street, talking and shouting and _focus_.  
Holding her arms across herself, Jemma crossed the street to the hotel. She needed to get to the rendezvous point. Fitz would meet her at the rendezvous point.  
  
Her feet led her body up to the room, and it wasn’t until she was at the door that she realised where she was. She let herself inside, locking the door behind her before looking around the suite. She was the first one back.  
She occupied her mind with packing away the makeup that she had left on the desk. Checking three times that the nail polish was sealed shut before allowing herself to finally look in the mirror.  
“Come on,” She told herself, “it’s okay,” She inhaled, held it, exhaled. Watching herself breathe, the world slowly came back into focus.  
She rubbed away the tear stains as much as she could, smiling as she thanked waterproof mascara for allowing her to still look somewhat decent.  
She picked up her makeup bag and walked over to the holdall on the bed. She was opening it up when she heard the door open, her heart catching in her throat.  
She stood up sharply, but relaxing when she saw Mack, “Oh thank God, is Fitz with you?”  
He shook his head as he walked into the room, “No”  
“But, this is the rendezvous point,” Anxiety filled her again as she walked towards the door, but Mack had hold of her arm before she could open it,  
“Hold on, hold on – I just got back, he can’t be too far behind,” Jemma looked at the door before turning to him, “Plus, if you go out there and he comes back here, then this will go on all night,” She looked down and sighed, knowing he was right. She paced towards the bed again, her arms tight around her waist, “You okay?” He asked, noticing her obvious anxiety, “You see Daisy?”  
Jemma shook her head slowly, turning back to him, “Hive, or,” she shrugged her shoulders with a sigh, “whatever it is,” She looked down at her feet before looking back at Mack, but she spoke more to herself than to him, “I shot him, doubt it did anything. Always said I would shoot Ward”  
“You think we will get her back?” Mack asked after a moment, trusting Jemma for the answer.  
“We have to”  
They looked at each other for a moment, before Mack sat himself down on one of the boxes, “I guess sometimes it’s easier to think the world wants you to suffer than to believe it’s got your back”  
Jemma couldn’t stop her smile then, “You should tell that to Fitz, he thinks we’re cursed. Which-” she sat herself on the bed, allowing herself to follow Mack’s lead, “-I know is ridiculous, but I don’t know” She shook her head and looked down at her hands, folding them into her lap.  
“So, how long have you two…?”  
She looked back up at him, “Oh, no, no,” she shook her head, but he raised his eyebrows at her and she lost all excuses.  
“You know how many times Bobbi and Hunter pulled the ‘my comms are broken trick’?”  
She couldn’t help but smile at that, remembering _why_ Fitz had pulled that trick, “Come on”.  
“Right. Well,” she blushed, “I…I don’t know,” She stumbled, looking up at the ceiling before back at her friend, “I suppose it’s very new.”  
“No, it isn’t” He smiled at her and she couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her as she thought back to her own words,  
“No, you’re right, it’s been ten years”

They smiled at each other for a moment, before Mack stood up, his hands slapping his thighs, “Well, I guess that calls for a toast,”  
Jemma watched as he walked towards the mini bar and picked two bottles at random, tossing one to her.  
“How many of them have you had?” Jemma laughed as she caught the bottle with ease,  
“Hey,” Mack smirked, opening the cap, “it’s Coulson’s tab”.  
They raised the small drink and shot it back, Jemma coughing slightly before wiping her mouth.  
“Well, I guess we better get back to it,” She smiled again at Mack, happy they could share a moment together, before she stood back up to continue packing her bag.  
“I’ll put these in the hall then load them on the Quinjet, shouldn’t take too long”  
“Are you sure?” She looked at Mack, who was picking up one of the large boxes with ease.  
He smiled at her in response, “Yeah, might take me a while though,” He looked at his watch, “I reckon you’ve got maybe an hour or two?” He gave her a small wink and Jemma felt the blush creep up on her neck,  
“In that case,” She walked over to the fridge, “I might have another”

After downing another shot, Jemma closed the bathroom door behind her but could still hear the occasional open and close of the door and thud of equipment as Mack went about his task. The warm liquor had certainly put her at ease, and Jemma allowed herself to smile in the mirror. Taking the towel, she began wiping at her makeup with cold water, eager to feel free after such a long day.  
After a while, she realised she was once again on her own, and tried not to think of the rising fear in her belly as she focused on removing her stubborn makeup.  
“Jemma?”  
She heard his voice and relief flooded her veins. Entering into the main room, she couldn’t help but sigh in relief as soon as she saw he was okay.  
“Where have you been?”  
“Looking for you,”  
“Oh,” she couldn’t help her slight annoyance as she walked towards him,“Well, I’ve been here – at the rendezvous point – like we discussed!”  
“What?” His shoulders visibly relaxed at the knowledge she was safe, “and Mack?”  
“In the Quinjet, unloading equipment”  
Fitz dropped the bag he was carrying and fiddled with the key in his hand, “Well, we’ve got a lot to talk about,” he said, dropping the key as he took two steps towards her, closing the gap between them.

His eyes dropped from hers towards her lips, and suddenly they were kissing. Raw heat and passion and /love. Fitz kissed her with every force of his last breath being choked out of him. In every second that Daisy had him pinned against that wall, all he could think about was this.  
Every worry of the day was lost in that kiss as they let themselves go.  
In an unchoreographed dance, their hands reached for one another, desperate to touch as much as they could. She had his blaser off and her jacket on the floor in a matter of seconds, the kiss never breaking as she expertly removed their layers. Fitz pulled at Jemma’s blouse as she lifted his shirt and loosened his tie, before playing her palms flat on his jawline and pulling him closer.  
“Jemma,” Fitz broke the kiss, taking his hands from his face to hold them in his own.  
Her name on his lips a breathless sound that spurred something deep inside her. “Yeah?” She couldn’t help her smile as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his.  
Fitz took a shaky breath as he stared at her with, taking in her red lips and flushed cheeks and the knowledge that she was just as wanting as him, “Your hands are freezing”  
She laughed at that, opening her eyes to look at him, “Are they?” she brought them up to her cheeks, and felt the cold instantly, “Oh,” she smiled at him as he took her hands back, “They’re like little ice buckets aren’t they,” She watched as he pressed a delicate kisses and a soft, warm blow to her clasped hands, “Do you think you can brave it?”  
“I’ll do my best to power through” He said with a smirk of his own, before kissing her again.  
Without breaking the kiss, Jemma turned herself towards the bed and allowed herself to fall against it, Fitz joining her a second later.  
Careful of his weight pressing against her, he rolled onto his side as his hands skimmed her body. Travelling from her thighs, his fingers whispered against her skin as he drew further up, pulling her blouse with him.  
Goosebumps littered her skin under his touch; light enough to cause a shiver, but each tiny graze of his fingertips only ignited a spark of pure pleasure from her heart to her crotch. She was lost in the sensation, allowing him to lift her blouse as far as he could, bunching it against her neck as he caressed her.

She lifted herself into him, giving into his touch. At first, her eyes were closed, but she realised she didn’t want to miss a second of Fitz’s reaction. Looking to her left, she knew her push-up bra was having the desired effect, as his eyes roamed her breasts. She smiled at him and he somehow managed to move his eyes up to meet hers and return the gesture, before diving in again for a strong, searing kiss.  
Fitz’s palms became more insistent, pressing against her firmly as she lifted herself up onto her hip and gave Fitz the room to unclasp her bra with his expert hands. As soon as it was undone, she shifted it off her shoulders and threw away her blouse as he grabbed her in both hands.  
She fitted perfectly into them, she was warm and soft, and Fitz was reminded of kneading dough as he squeezed her gently. She moaned against his touch, pressing herself against him at the same time she was trying to undo his buttons. There was no logic to her work as she started in the middle and then the top as she desperately tried to free him. She longed to feel him against her skin and wasted no time in ripping the fabric over his head. As soon she could see him, she pressed her hands against his chest and listened to his heart beating frantically under it.  
She was momentarily disappointed when Fitz pulled away, but the feeling evaporated as soon as he had her nipple in her mouth. The other was in between his finger and thumb, and he rolled it with every lick, and she was lost to the sensation. Her breath became shallow as the world around her faded and all she could feel was the hot heat of _Fitz_. Her hands were raking through his hair, pushing him further onto her.  
He nipped and sucked at each nipple in turn, listening to the way she moaned when he used his teeth slightly, gently teasing her. Her hips were bucking into the air with every breath she took, and Fitz was not going to be the one to make Jemma Simmons wait any longer. He moved above her, placing his legs either side of hers as he travelled down her body. His hands left her breasts and roamed her sides until he reached the waistband of the leggings that had been teasing him all night. Jemma’s fingers were wrapped tight in his hair, urging him on as he took the fabric in two hooked fingers and brought them down her legs. His breath hitched in his throat as he saw the thong. The same pattern as her bra, the thin fabric light enough to see the short curls that rested underneath.

Jemma kicked off her heels and leggings and spread herself for him, her legs bent either side of his shoulders as he took her in. She bit her lip as he manoeuvred himself lower, his own body shifting to lie down, his lips panting hot breaths onto where she needed him most. She thrust impatiently upwards, aware of the spell Fitz was currently under.  
Her movement was insistent, her hands tugging him forward. This close, he could smell her heat and the knowledge went straight to his cock. He planted kisses along her thigh until he reached the crevice of her underwear. He gently pulled the fabric to the side and kissed her, unable to stop himself from reaching his tongue out to taste her.  
Above him, she moaned and pulled him closer while she used one hand to lower the fabric away from her. She knew that Fitz would do anything to tease her, but she was desperate now. The need for him was insistent and they couldn’t waste any more time.  
Now completely free of her underwear, Jemma writhed beneath him as he licked at her folds, his stubble brushing perfectly against the inside of her thigs with every movement of his jaw. She was aware of the pathetic moans escaping her, but she had no way to stop them as he expertly used his tongue against her most sensitive parts.  
But it wasn’t enough.  
Pulling at him slightly, Jemma hooked her hands on his shoulder to bring him up. He smiled at her and her heart soared again. Wrapping her bare legs around his waist, she brought him closer and kissed him, tasting herself on his tongue.  
Although he was still trapped inside his suit pants, Jemma could feel his hardness and wanted nothing more than to feel him in her hands again. She explored him, moving from his shoulders to his chest and finally dipped beneath the constraining fabric. Sensing Jemma’s fever, Fitz sat up slightly and undid the button on his trousers, relief washing over him as he was allowed breathing room for his cock. Her hands had warmed up considerably, and feeling her small fingers wrap around him under his boxers was enough to make his eyes roll back. Together, using one hand each, they managed to free him of his remaining clothes and finally, Jemma was able to drink him in.

For a second, they just looked at each other, taking the time to unashamedly stare, their chests heaving synchronously with heavy breaths. For a second, Jemma remembered how good he had looked in the glasses and was momentarily disappointed he wasn’t still wearing them. And then all thought left as Fitz lowered her back onto the mattress, his lips on hers as he pushed them both down.  
Now free, he palmed himself slowly to release some tension, before burying his face back between Jemma’s legs. God, he couldn’t get enough of that taste. Her hips were thrusting furiously up into him, silently begging for more. Slowly, he moved his hands off himself and placed them on Jemma’s crotch. She was so wet that his fingertips slid through her folds effortlessly, eliciting another moan from his girlfriend. He looked at her face as he slid two fingers inside her; eyes closed, biting her lip, cheeks flushed.  
He moaned deep in his throat, pushing the two digits as much as he could, twisting his fingers just so as he watched her eyes suddenly spark open as he touched her g-spot. Smirking, he rubbed at her again as he moved to join her fully on the bed. Noses touching, she let out another moan and canted herself to his touch.  
“Fitz,” she breathed out, the sound alone enough to make his knees weak.  
He slowly removed his fingers from her, and instead shifted to rub himself against her. She wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him as close as possible, her nipples rubbing softly across his chest hair.  
They stayed like that for a short while, lost in the feeling of each other as Fitz’s erection touched her perfectly. But then he felt her wetness dripping on him and couldn’t hold back. Looking into her eyes, Fitz found all the answers to the universe as he moved his hips backwards, then forwards as they fit together perfectly. He slid through her without even trying, both of them letting out a shaky moan at the feeling as Fitz filled her.  
In her mind, Jemma was back in Fitz’s bedroom looking at his poster of the universe, and all the stars had suddenly aligned as he thrust deeper into her. She wrapped her legs around him tighter, her ankles joining as she opened herself up further to him. He had felt big, but nothing had prepared her for how perfect he would feel. For the past 10 years, they had never been silent around each other. But here, now, no words were needed. They moaned together as Fitz thrust, each one becoming more self-assured and confident as they focused on the pleasure.

Her eyes were closed but she could feel him looking down at her. She allowed herself to be caught in the feeling of the two of them intertwined in a unity that felt like forever. She thought about their future, and the Perthshire cottage flashed in front of her, mixed with imaginings of their life outside of SHIELD. And then he shifted his position slightly and her mind went blank and her heart stopped beating. Her breath caught in her throat as he hit the spot again, again, again. She wrapped her legs instinctively around him and urged him on.  
“Fitz,” she forced her eyes open, and he was looking at her with so much love and admiration that she had to close her eyes again as she uttered the curses with each thrust.  
Knowing that he had found the spot that made her eyes roll back, Fitz suddenly began to see his own stars as he thrust towards his release. The look of pleasure on her face was too much, the fact that he was doing that. No matter the ache in his arms and the cramp in his leg, he continued his quest to make her gasp like that. She opened her eyes again, locking her gaze with his and suddenly he lost all control,  
“I’m gonna-”, he sounded so cheesy, so cliché, but he couldn’t help the announcement.  
She didn’t seem to mind, egging him on as she begged him to release inside her, “Please Fitz,” she breathed out, never breaking eye contact, “let me feel you”  
And that was it.  
He rolled his hips again, again, again; Jemma let out a sinful moan, clenched herself around him, and that was it. He shuddered to a halt, her name on his lips as he burst inside her with a fire he had never felt before and was burning to again.  
He swore. He was about to pull out, roll over, let Jemma have some space, but she moved her legs and interlocked her feet behind his bum to keep him there. She gave him a sly smile, and he huffed his satisfaction. He had no words left.  
Jemma could feel him pulsing inside her and wanted to keep him against her as long as humanly possible. They kissed gently; the lust replaced with love as they listened to each other’s heartbeat.

“How was that?” Jemma asked after a moment, relaxing the grip on her legs to allow Fitz to finally slide out.  
“Like everything I ever dreamed of,” he gave her a smirk, and she reached up to hold his face in her hand, “you?”  
“Incredible,” she replied sincerely. It was the closest she had ever been to orgasm solely through penetration, and, truthfully, Fitz’s face as he watched her was enough to fuel her nights for a very long time.  
"Do we have to go back?" Fitz asked, rolling back over to drape an arm across her chest, pressing his face into her neck.  
"I wish we didn't," She replied truthfully, cuddling into him, "but we do" She said with a sigh, bending her head to kiss him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if you wanted a continuation - but here it is

They were wrapped in each other’s arms, once again on the verge of sleep, when they were interrupted by a buzz from Fitz’s watch. Sighing as he checked it, he showed the screen to Jemma before answering Mack’s call.  
“You two ready?” Fitz gave Jemma a questioning look, but she just rolled her eyes.  
“Yeah,” Fitz sighed, speaking into the watch, “Will be with you in twenty”  
“Make it ten, I’ve been waiting all night for you tw-” Fitz hit the end button and rolled back onto his side to nuzzle his face into Jemma’s neck.  
“I don’t wanna go” He pouted, rubbing his stubble across her chin.  
“Come on, sooner we debrief, sooner we can sleep” Jemma ran her hands through his soft curls, before forcing him to lift his head up.  
He looked exhausted, his eyelids heavy and hair a mess, she couldn’t help but smile at him. She leant forward to kiss him again before pulling back the covers to expose them both.  
Fitz hissed at the cold before turning away from Jemma, suddenly self-conscious about his now flaccid penis. Picking up his boxers, which he was sure he hadn’t left there, he couldn’t help the smile as the memories played back to him. Moving to pick up the rest of his discarded clothes, he watched as the still-naked Jemma did the same.  
“Do you think Mack planned this?” Jemma asked, pulling her jumper over herself – without a bra.  
Fitz watched as her breasts bounced, her nipples visible under the fabric. He had to force himself not to lick his lips as he nodded, “Yeah, probably. He’s been going on at me for a while”  
“Oh?” Jemma tried to sound casual, but the thought stung, “I guess he and Bobbi must have spoken about it”  
Now was Fitz’s turn to feel hurt, “You spoke to Bobbi about us?”  
Fitz watched as she pulled on her underwear and jeans, purposely keeping her gaze to the ground.  
“Oh, no,” He saw the unmistakable sign of her blush as she moved her hair out of her eyes, “Not really,” She looked up at him then, biting her lip slightly, “Sometimes”  
Fitz smiled at her nervousness and walked to her, arms instinctively wrapping around her waist.  
“When?” He was curious now, intrigued by her defensiveness.  
“Oh, you know,” She smiled, reaching up to touch her hair, “When did you speak to Mack?”  
“Many times,” Fitz smiled wide, before rolling his eyes, “I wouldn’t say your name but, he and Hunter knew it was you”  
“Yeah,” Jemma smiled as well, shaking her head slightly, “Bobbi too”

“Probably know us better than we know ourselves” He kissed her softly on the forehead before moving back  
“If they could see us now,” she giggled, her cheeks red again as she busied herself with her boots.

They checked out of the hotel, and Fitz audibly gasped at the price of the room service,  
“What did Mack order, lobster?” He whispered as they walked out.  
“Oh, you know,” Jemma grinned up at him, “When in Rome,” Fitz grumbled slightly, shifting the bag at his side, “You’re just jealous,” Jemma smiled, reaching to adjust the strap for him as they stepped down.  
Fitz smirked to himself, thinking of a response that wouldn’t earn him a smack, “Yeah, but I had a _much_ better-” Jemma glared at him, silently daring him to finish the sentence when Mack made his presence known with a loud cough, “Mack, hi,”  
“You good?” He eyed them both, before taking each of their bags on the one arm.  
“Yeah,” They answered together, Jemma sounding just a little more confident.  
Mack raised his eyebrows, but didn’t push, “Where ‘d you go, Turbo? We were waiting long enough for three drinks”  
“I tried to follow them, but” Fitz looked down, “I lost them pretty quick”  
Jemma rubbed his arm, “Daisy?”   
“Yeah, she didn’t make it easy” Fitz smiled weakly at her.  
“She say anything?” Mack asked as they boarded the Quinjet.  
“Oh, only that she was going to kill me,”  
They all winced at that, no response feeling appropriate.  
“Did she know what she was doing?” Mack asked after a while.  
“Was she like Mack at the temple? A zombie?” Jemma asked, glancing at Mack as he visibly shuddered at the memory.  
“No, no”, he shook his head, “She was herself; she knew what she was doing,”  
Fitz sighed, rubbing his temple as he took his seat.  
“Did you see where they took Radcliffe?” Jemma asked, sitting beside him.  
She placed a hand on his knee as Mack walked to the driver’s seat.  
Fitz shook his head, “What do they even want with him anyway?”  
“Nothing good,” Mack replied ominously, switching on the engine before starting comms with HQ, “Who wants to debrief?” He asked over his shoulder, “Tell Coulson the good news”  
Fitz sighed as he repeated the story out loud, telling Coulson about Daisy’s threat, “She was serious, Sir”  
“Damn it” Coulson’s voice boomed in the otherwise quiet space.  
“And that’s not all, Sir, “I saw Hive. He-” She felt Fitz look at her and took a deep breath, “It- was acting like Will. It had all of Will’s memories, knew who I was – who he was” She sucked in a shaky breath to calm herself, determined not to cry again.  
“Did he hurt you?” Coulson asked, and Jemma shook her head  
“No, no. It was like, he _was_ Will. And Will would never have…” she trailed off and looked at Fitz, releasing her hold on his knee, “I tried to shoot him, but it had no effect”  
“Did It bleed?”  
“No, that’s the strangest part,” Jemma smiled weakly as Fitz put his hand over hers, “It just kind of oozed. I have no way to describe it”  
“Great,” Coulson said sarcastically, “and Mack, who’d you run into?”

The flight back seemed a lot quicker than there, for which they were all grateful for.  
“I’m gonna grab a drink,” Mack announced as soon as they signed in, “care to join?”  
They both shook their heads, too tired to do anything but sleep.  
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Fitz smiled up at him, and got a pat on the back in return as they parted, “You okay?” he asked as soon as they were alone, “That can’t have been easy”  
“Yeah,” she smiled at him, trying to make herself sound more confident than she felt. She felt calmer for having told someone, but she couldn’t stop the uneasiness in her gut.  
“Okay, well, I’m here if you need me,” They’d stopped outside the door to her bunk, and neither of them knew what to say.  
“Thanks for a great night,” she said after a while, stepping forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips. He wanted nothing more than to lean in and make the moment last forever, but in an instant, she was gone, pushing open the door to her room.  
“You too,” was he could think of to say, and winced at himself as she closed the door behind her smile.

Alone again, Jemma set her bags on the floor in an unsophisticated heap and sat on the bed with a sigh. Her head was full of Will and Fitz and Daisy and Hive and for a moment, she just needed to be still. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breath; the rise and fall of her chest – May’s words of comfort to take control of her mind and her body. She sat like that until the silence became deafening and forced herself to stand up.  
Grabbing her pyjamas, she left the room, her feet leading her to the showers. Will’s words were echoing around her, replaced with Ward and Hive and Will and Fitz. Her mind felt a thousand miles away, and it wasn’t until the heat of the water was on her that she began to feel calmer, the rush in her ears loud enough to blur the memories.  
She turned the heat up half a degree and began to lather her hair with shampoo, allowing herself to feel comfortable. As she washed herself, she couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Fitz’s face when he saw her naked. The thoughts that followed caused a rush to her groin as she felt remembered Fitz touching her. The way he looked at her as he thrust into her. She had to squeeze her legs together to stop the pulsing but couldn’t help the jolt of pleasure it caused her.  
As she put the conditioner through her hair, she looked down at her breasts and tried to put herself in Fitz’s position. What does he see? Every insecurity she had about herself evaporated in his gaze, and she couldn’t wait to be that close to him again. She bit her lip and hurried herself, finishing her shower with an unusual pace which she told herself was _just because you’re tired_. Drying her hair with the Fitz-improved dryer she kept in her locker, it wasn’t long before she was walking down the corridor in her nightshirt and shorts on her way to Fitz’s room.

“Fitz?” She opened the door a crack, suddenly feeling self-conscious.  
“Yeah?” he replied, putting down the tablet he was holding onto the bedside table.  
“Can I sleep in here tonight?” she wrapped her arm around herself a little tighter as she stepped over the threshold onto her tiptoes.  
“Of course” he smiled, shifting himself to the side, “you don’t need to ask,”  
It was an act they’d done over a hundred times, especially since coming back from Maveth – but she’d never felt the butterflies spring to life like this as she watched the way he made space for her.  
“Did you want to stay up for a bit, or?” he gestured to the TV, but Jemma was already tucking herself under the covers.  
“I don’t mind,” she answered truthfully, reaching out to hold his hand, “I just didn’t want to be on my own”  
He squeezed her hand gently, “Do you want to tell me?” he asked softly, looking down as his thumb rubbed a soft pattern on her skin.  
Jemma leaned into him, nose to shoulder and shook her head in response. She breathed him in and calmed herself, focusing on the feeling of her hand in his. She squeezed is hand tighter and he pressed a kiss into her hair.  
They stayed like that, silent and still except for the beating of their hearts, until Jemma felt fatigue win over her. She pulled away from him and moved herself to lie next to him their hands still entwined. He was fully clothed on top of the covers, with her head rested on his jeans, but there was nowhere more comfortable.

“Jemma?” Fitz said softly, placing his free hand in her hair to rub circles on her scalp – the most soothing motion which always took away her loud thoughts.  
“Hmm?” She hummed; eye lids heavy as she settled further into his lap.  
“I love you” he looked down at her and caught her sleepy smile as she whispered the words back to him.  
He bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek in a move that he had been wanting to do for _years_ , before gently lifting himself away from her.  
She moaned slightly at the loss of contact, opening her eyes to watch him walk to the light switch and turn it off, before unbuckling his belt and letting his jeans fall to the floor. Jemma watched the movement, aware of the slight bulge in his boxers and was once again reminded of what lay beneath with a swell of heat pooling in her stomach. She closed her eyes again when he turned back around, but the wide smile on her face told him she was still awake.

“You’re going to have to move over, Jem” he laughed slightly, seeing her still on his side of the bed.  
She opened one eye and pouted at him but shifted herself over onto her side, watching as he lifted up the covers.  
“You not taking this off?” She pulled at his shirt with a smile.  
“I was leaving it for you,” He smirked back at her, placing his hand on her hip as he lowered himself into bed.  
“Yeah,” she rolled her eyes, “Or you’re too lazy to undo the buttons”  
“You know me too well” He smiled, turning onto his side to look at her.  
“I’ll do mine if you do yours” she looked at him cheekily, smirking at him  
“That is not fair, Simmons,” He pouted, looking down at the bare skin at her collar  
“Come on, it’s good practice” She started playing with the button fixed to the top of his shirt, “Good for your fingers”  
“I can think of better things to do with my fingers” His voice was teasing, but he was deadly serious and couldn’t help but lick his lips at the thought.  
Jemma tried to act shocked, but her laugh gave her away, “Leopold Fitz! You did not just say that!” she hit him gently on the chest.  
“I was talking about fixing a transceiver,” He fumbled for the words as he blushed, “obviously”  
“Mm-hmm,” Jemma bit her lip and carried on her task of his buttons, “I’ll believe it when I see it”  
“What?” He smirked, “That I’m good with my hands?”

Without waiting for a response, he moved his hands up from her waist and traced her body, tickling her over the fabric of her shirt.  
Jemma tried not to react, doing her best to concentrate on the second button, but Fitz had cupped her breast over her top and she couldn’t help the natural reaction to lean into the touch, the feeling instantly turning her on.  
He could see a touch of colour on her cheeks, but she was too stubborn to allow him any satisfaction, so he gently pinched her now hardened nipple over the fabric. He rolled the bud between his forefinger and thumb. She moved to the next button without a word. He pinched her a little harder, twisting her nipple slightly – and that got a reaction. She tried to hold it back but couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips at the sensation. She held her breath as he did it again and felt herself arch further into his touch.  
She carried on undoing the buttons on his shirt, her eyes now closed, and her legs pressed firmly together as she rolled her hips with every roll of her nipple. Fitz caused every cell in her body to implode in on itself, and she wanted _more.  
_ With his shirt now open, Jemma made a point of fiddling with her top button, eyes open and watching Fitz, who was acting like he had no idea why she was looking at him. She forced herself to go slowly, but she couldn’t wait for him to have his hands on her skin. As soon as the last button had popped open, she made a show of arching her back and shrugging off the fabric, leaving her chest bare except for Fitz’s hands. Now fully exposed, he cupped both of her breasts and played with her nipples, experimenting with which amount of pressure elicited which moan from his partner. She knew he was listening, and leaned into him, her mouth next to his ear.

In a moment of boldness, Fitz moved Jemma’s hand from his chest and down to his penis. He was aching for her to touch him, and the way she smiled at the movement under the kiss confirmed that she felt the same. She wasted no time in wrapping her hand around him, covering only half his length as she pumped him slowly under his boxers. He moaned into her touch, canting his hips slightly as she worked him. The feeling of him growing under her palm made her dizzy, and she took time to swipe her thumb across his tip and spread his pre-cum over his shaft.  
It wasn’t long before instinct took over and Fitz had rolled over, pinning Jemma down as he explored her neck with his mouth. One hand was on her breast, while the other was working on her pyjama’s shorts, tugging them down as far as he could from this angle. Panting, Jemma took over and shoved them off using her feet while Fitz did the same, pulling at his shirt and boxers – in seconds they were naked. Fitz nipped at her neck again, eliciting a moan from his girlfriend that set every nerve in his body on fire. He was between her legs and she was wrapping herself around him, pushing him forward. He shuffled slightly on his knees and was now close enough to feel her folds touch his shaft and they both moaned at the contact. Jemma rolled her hips, begging for the touch and feel of him as he rubbed himself against her, his tip gently touching her most sensitive spot.  
They couldn’t last like that, both needing more. Jemma grasped at Fitz’s arse, pulling him closer, and he took his hand from her hair and guided himself into her. She opened herself up to him, pulling him closer as she locked her legs around him. As soon as he was fully inside her, they both let out a breath and looked at each other. Fitz took a moment to appreciate the view of her eyes lusting after his, before he canted his hips and started to slowly move in and out of her.

She couldn’t keep her hands still, wanting to touch all of him at once. She ran her palms up his back, through his hair, over his shoulders – and as soon as he hit the right spot, she grabbed his bum again, holding him in place as she panted his name. She pushed her breasts against Fitz’s chest and felt him tense above her as she rolled her hips against his.  
It was un-coordinated and quick, but the feeling was infinite. He rocked himself into her, harder and faster with every moan she made. It wasn’t long before he found himself on the edge, but he wanted Jemma to feel the same. Shifting himself slightly to lean back onto his knees, he made space to gently rub his thumb against her clit, her hips canting into him. Jemma used him then, chasing her own pleasure with every thrust. She closed her eyes and focused on the feeling as she clamped her body on him, each thrust touching something deep inside her that matched perfectly with Fitz’s touch on her most sensitive spot.  
Soon, she was begging his name and knew she was close, “Please, Fitz,” she wined, she couldn’t help how needy she sounded, but it only seemed to spur him on.  
Moving himself up, he grabbed her hip and thrust hard, his thumb still pressed against her, “Come for me, Simmons,”  
His voice was low and husky and did things to her inside that shouldn’t be possible. She felt herself let go, suddenly taken apart in a way she never had before. She tensed for what felt like eternity as her heart caught up and her orgasm filed her, and then she grabbed Fitz by the hair and pulled him in for a kiss. Her whole body was electric, her toes lighting up. She felt as Fitz pushed against her once, twice more and then he moaned deep into her neck, placing soft, open mouth kisses onto her sensitive skin.  
She went slack, her legs leaving Fitz’s hips as she lay there, her orgasm calming. Now free from her vice, Fitz rolled over onto the side and pulled her close, his head resting on her shoulder, listening to her heartbeat. She ran her fingers through his hair as her brain caught up with her body and she could think again,

“I promise that wasn’t my intention when I asked to sleep with you,” She let out a shaky laugh and Fitz looked up at her  
“Yeah, yeah,” They kissed softly, “I just wish I knew it was that easy,” Fitz smirked, kissing her again before receiving the slap to the arm he was expecting. He rolled over onto his back, still smiling “All those missed opportunities”  
“Oh, well,” she replied, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up, “ten years gave you plenty of practice” she bent down to kiss him, cutting off his retort.  
While she was in the bathroom, Fitz took a moment to appreciate her words. She knew he had never had a girlfriend before, but those one nights after The Boiler Room with new recruits had obviously paid off. But then that elated feeling of pride began to sink as he remembered that _she had had boyfriends_. Were they better than him? _Probably_. In every way. He shook his head, forcing himself to eliminate those thoughts. No more looking back.  
Jemma came back into the room, shirt still wide open. She smiled as Fitz watched her walk towards him, aware of his gaze following her as she bent down to pick up her shorts off the floor. She shimmied them on and then threw his boxers back at him, which he caught with his left hand and tried not to look too pleased about.

“Sleep?” She asked, pulling up the cover on the side Fitz was originally on.  
“I guess,” He pouted, holding out his arm as she came in close.  
She settled herself in the crook of his arm, her cheek on his chest, and felt sleep take over, “I love you,”  
"I love you too,” He kissed her forehead and comfied himself, making sure to keep Jemma’s position the same. It might not be the best angle to sleep in – but lying here with his girlfriend in his arms? He could get used to this.


End file.
